As is known, virtually all residential homes utilize electrical power received from a utility company. Typically, utility companies have an excellent record of providing uninterrupted or infrequently interrupted power to their customers at proper voltage levels and line frequency. However, due to the increasing demand for power, power outages have become more frequent. While power outages usually last only for a short duration, an extended power outage may cause more than simple aggravation for customers of the utility. A power outage may render a homeowner's appliances, such as the sump pump, refrigerator or freezer inoperable. If a power outage occurs during a rainstorm, the failure of the sump pump to operate may result in the flooding of the homeowner's basement.
In order to combat these occasional disruptions in service, many residential customers of the utility companies have equipped their homes with stand-by electrical generator systems. These stand-by electrical generator systems include internal combustion engines that drive electrical generators. If the commercial power from the utility company fails, the internal combustion engine of the stand-by electrical generator system is started, either manually or automatically, causing the electrical generator to generate electrical power. When the electrical power generated by the electrical generator reaches the proper voltage and frequency desired by the customer, a transfer switch transfers the load imposed by the homeowner from the utility power lines to the electrical generator.
Installation of a stand-by electrical generator system requires the ability to switch the load imposed by the homeowner between the utility power lines and the stand-by electrical generator. Typically, these connections are established by a pair of switches. The first switch may be, for example, a circuit breaker receiving an electrical connection from the utility power line on a first side of the switch and providing a connection point on the other side of the switch to provide utility power to the load. The second switch may be, for example, a transfer switch which selectively connects the utility power line or the stand-by electrical generator to the load imposed by the homeowner. Typically, both switches are provided in a single enclosure. However, connections to the utility power line and to the stand-by generator are often performed by separate electricians at different times. Additionally, the utility company may wish to control access to the utility supply lines entering the enclosure.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide an enclosure for housing a transfer switch that selectively connects a load to either a utility electrical grid or a stand-by electrical generator.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide an enclosure for housing a transfer switch wherein the electrical connections to a utility electrical grid and to a stand-by electrical generator housed therein are physically isolated from each other.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide an enclosure for housing a transfer switch which provides independent and secure access to the electrical connections to a utility electrical grid and to a stand-by electrical generator housed therein.
In accordance with the present invention, a housing is provided for a transfer switch. The housing includes an enclosure defined by a back panel having a front surface; a plurality of sides extending from the back panels and defining a chamber; and a divider panel positioned in the chamber for dividing the chamber into a first volume and a second volume. A first door panel is operatively connectable to the enclosure for selectively preventing access to the first volume. A second door panel is operatively connectable to the enclosure for selectively preventing access to the second volume.
The first door panel and the second door panel are independently secured to the enclosure. The first door panel includes a locking arrangement operatively connectable to the enclosure to positively retain the first door panel in a closed position preventing access to the first volume. The first door panel includes an opening extending therethrough to receive a first switch member. The first switch member is movable between a first position and a second position. A locking arrangement is provided for securing the first switch member in one of the first and second positions. The second door panel also includes an opening extending therethrough and the transfer switch includes a second switch member. A cover panel is removably connectable to the enclosure over at least a portion of the first and second door panels to prevent access to the first and second switch members.
One of the plurality of sides has a utility opening extending therethrough. The front surface of the back panel includes a first mounting surface communicating with the first volume for receiving a first switch thereon. The first switch further includes a first pair of terminals configured to receive a pair of electrical conductors connected to a utility grid and a second pair of terminals configured to receive a pair of electrical conductors connected to a load. The first switch member selectively connects the load to the utility grid. One of the plurality of sides has a load opening extending therethrough and the front surface of the back panel includes a second mounting surface communicating with the second volume for receiving the transfer switch thereon. The divider panel includes an opening for allowing communication between the first and second volumes.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a housing is provided for a transfer switch. The housing includes a back panel; a top panel joined along a first edge of the back panel; a bottom panel joined along a second edge of the back panel; a first side panel joined along a third edge of the back panel between the top panel and the bottom panel; and a second side panel joined along a fourth edge of the back panel between the top panel and the bottom panel such that the top panel, bottom panel, first side panel, and second side panel define a chamber having an opening thereto. A first door panel selectively covers a first portion of the opening. A second door panel selectively covers a second portion of the opening. A divider panel extends from a front surface of the back panel between the top panel and the bottom panel. The divider panel divides the chamber into a utility connection volume defined by the top panel, the divider panel, the bottom panel, and the first side panel and a transfer switch connection volume defined by the top panel, the divider panel, the bottom panel, and the second side panel. The divider panel includes an aperture extending therethrough for allowing the utility connection volume to communicate with the transfer switch connection volume.
The first door panel and the second door panel are independently secured to at least one of the top panel, bottom panel, first side panel, and second side panel. The first door panel includes a locking arrangement for retaining the first door panel in a closed position so as to prevent access to the utility connection volume through the first portion of the opening. A first switch is received in the utility connection volume and is supported by the front surface of the back panel. The first switch includes a first switch member movable between a first switch position and a second switch position to selectively connect a load to a utility power supply. The first door panel includes a switch opening extending therethrough for receiving the first switch member. A locking structure is provided for maintaining the first switch member in one of the first or second switch positions.
It is contemplated for the transfer switch to be received in the transfer switch connection volume and to be supported by the front surface of the back panel. The transfer switch includes a second switch member movable between a first switch position and a second switch position to selectively connect a load to one of the utility power supply and a secondary power supply. The second door panel includes a switch opening extending therethrough for receiving the second switch member. A cover panel is removably connected to at least one of the top panel, bottom panel, first side panel, and second side panel so as to cover at least a portion of the first and second door panels to prevent access to the first and second switch members.
It is further contemplated that one of the top panel, the bottom panel, and the first side panel has a utility opening extending therethrough. The first switch further includes a first pair of terminals configured to receive a pair of electrical conductors connectable to the utility power supply and a second pair of terminals configured to receive a pair of electrical conductors connectable to the load. In addition, one of the top panel, the bottom panel, and the second side panel has a load opening extending therethrough. The transfer switch is operatively connected to the front surface of the back panel and is received in the transfer switch connection volume. The transfer switch selectively connects the load to either the utility grid or the secondary power supply by operation of the one of a manually operated switch member and an electronically controlled switch member.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a housing is provided for a transfer switch. The housing includes an enclosure defining first and second volumes. The enclosure has a first opening for providing access to the first volume and a second opening for providing access to the second volume. A first door panel is operatively connected to the enclosure and is movable between a first open position and a second closed position for preventing access to the first volume. A second door panel is operatively connected to the enclosure and is movable between a first open position and a second closed position for preventing access to the second volume. The first volume is adapted for receiving electrical connections to a utility and the second volume is adapted for receiving the transfer switch.
The enclosure includes a generally flat back panel having a forward surface. First and second spaced vertical sides extend from the back panel and first and second spaced horizontal sides extending from the back panel. The first and second horizontal sides interconnect the first and second vertical sides such that the first and second horizontal sides and the first and second vertical sides defining a chamber in the enclosure. A divider panel is positioned in the chamber for dividing the chamber into the first volume and second volume. The divider panel includes an aperture extending therethrough to connect the first and the second volumes. A lock arrangement is operatively connectable to the enclosure for maintaining the first door panel in the closed position.